America News Agency

Dodik was sentenced by a first-instance court to one year in prison and banned from holding public office for six years for refusing to comply with the decisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina's international envoy, High Representative Christian Schmidt.

The president of Republika Srpska, a region with a Serb majority, told his supporters at a rally in Banja Luka that "there is nothing to worry about."

He called the conviction "nonsense," claiming he was sentenced for ignoring the decisions of the High Representative.

The ruling marked the peak of a long-running dispute between Dodik and Christian Schmidt.

Despite 30 years passing since the Dayton Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War in the 1990s, Schmidt remains the highest international authority in Bosnia.

The High Representative has the power to impose or annul laws and remove officials ranging from judges to political leaders.

One of his predecessors, former UK Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown, in 2004 dismissed around 60 Bosnian Serb officials in a single day as part of an operation targeting those protecting war criminals.

In later years, the High Representative's powers were used much less frequently as Bosnia’s international backers withdrew, hoping that local leaders would work together to create a stable and prosperous country.

The strategy failed. Ethno-nationalist leaders remain entrenched in Republika Srpska, where Serbs form the majority, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosniaks and Croats are the dominant groups.

The central government is weak, with little incentive for cooperation between factions.

As a result, the country struggles with low wages, a stagnant economy, and a constant brain drain of talented individuals seeking a better future abroad.

Toby Vogel, co-founder of the Council for Democratization Policy, stated: "Bosnians of all ethnic groups are united in their hatred of their leaders. They wouldn't want to vote for them, but the emergence of cross-community politicians and parties is structurally almost impossible."